Creamy Sundried Tomato Pesto Dip

Are you ready for some football??? The latest Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap celebrated the beginning of football season with a tailgating/appetizer theme. I was given a recipe for Mediterranean Dip from the blog Mrs. Regueiro's Plate.

After reading the recipe, I decided to both simplify it and change things up a bit, turning it into a creamier spread for crostini instead of a dip for pita chips (although I did also try it on pita chips). Instead of having a layer of feta at the bottom of the dip, I decided to blend my basil pesto with cream cheese and mayo as I thought too much feta would make the dip too salty. Additionally, feta doesn't fully melt, so I wanted something creamy as the base. I also didn't use full sundried tomatoes, but only the sundried tomato pesto. Finally, I didn't have much time so I used *gasp* store bought sundried tomato pesto... it worked just fine.


The result? A perfectly savory, flavorful, creamy, crostini topping/spread/dip..whatever you'd like to call it!

Here is my variation on the recipe.

Ingredients

• Approximately 1/2 cup basil pesto (I made a pesto using one bunch of basil, 3 cloves of garlic, a touch of Kosher salt, and some olive oil - no pine nuts)
• 1 block of cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp sundried tomato pesto
• 1/2 can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 6 oz crumbled feta

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Mix basil pesto with the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Spread it in the bottom of a deep dish pie plate, or small baking dish
• Next, spread a layer of sundried tomato pesto
• Top with the chopped artichokes, then the feta cheese.
• Bake for 15-20 min until hot and bubbly.

I will definitely be making this creation again!!

One Pot Cooking - Spicy Asian Chicken with Broccoli and Rice

I was about to make a chicken stir-fry tonight with broccoli and jalapenos, but last minute (meaning everything was prepped and my pans were on the stove and I was reaching to turn on the burner), I decided to pull out my Dutch oven and turn my stir-fry idea into a simple one-pot chicken dish.

I'm glad I did - I loved this. Jon thought it could benefit from maybe some cilantro or lime juice; I can see adding cilantro, but was also happy with it just how it was.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I had 3 small breasts and cut them each in half)
• Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1 c uncooked rice
• 1 3/4 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pan or Dutch oven
• Season chicken with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; add to pan and cook 3 min per side then transfer to a plate
• Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos to pan; saute 3 minutes
• Add rice, stir 1 min
• Mix the broth, soy sauce, and hoisin; add to pan
• Bring to a simmer, then lower heat, return chicken to pan (nestled into the rice), put broccoli florets on top of everything, cover and cook over low heat (make sure it's still lightly simmering) approximately 15 minutes or until rice is cooked and the liquid has absorbed.
  

Baked Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

These little pinwheels look impressive, are delicious, yet are so simple to make. I have made them before using different ingredients for the filling - click here to see both Bacon-Cheese and Alouette Pinwheels. I have also made them using pizza sauce, cheese, and chopped pepperoni...yummy!!

Over Labor Day weekend, my parents had a barbecue and I decided to make an app. I wanted to do something hot since all of our sides and other apps were going to be cold. I mentioned baked pinwheels to Jon, and have to give him credit for coming up with the idea for the ham and cheese filling.

Making the Pinwheels

• Open a can of crescent roll dough - you will most likely have 2 rolls once you open them (mine always split down the center, but this is perfect). Roll out each roll - each one will be a rectangle; keep the long side near you and pinch the seams closed.
• Sprinkle them with a touch of dried thyme (I decided on the thyme because I use it when I make my Chicken Cordon Blue and love the flavor of the thyme with the Swiss and ham).
• Layer Swiss cheese, sliced deli ham, then another slice of Swiss cheese. Roll towards you (you want the roll to be long and skinny, not short and fat) and pinch closed gently.
• At this point you can wrap each long roll in plastic until you are ready to bake and serve them - that's one of the things I love about these.
• When you are ready to bake them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees (I liked baking them at 350 instead of the 375 I did last time). Slice each roll into 1 inch pieces and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet with one of the cut sides facing up. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

That's it!

Along with the ham and cheese, I also made 2 others -
- Crescent dough with Yancey's Fancy Jalapeno and Cayenne Cheese
- Crescent dough with a mixture of Laughing Cow Cheese, Italian seasonings, and a touch of garlic powder

Spicy Tofu with Asparagus and Chile

A few months ago I made Spicy Chicken with Asparagus and Chile, and loved it because of the combination of the asparagus and jalapenos in an Asian dish. I thought it would work really well with tofu, and it did. Below is my variation on this recipe using tofu.

Ingredients

• 1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed and then cut into small cubes
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
  
• 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 12 oz thin to medium Asparagus spears, cut on a diagonal to 1/2-3/4 inch pieces
• 1 jalapeno, minced (ribs and seeds included)
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1/4 c chicken broth
• 1 tbsp hoisin
• 2 green onions, sliced

Directions

• In a bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp of the soy sauce, the rice wine, and cornstarch. Add the the tofu and toss to coat.
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add the asparagus, jalapeno, and ginger and saute 2 minutes.
  
• Add tofu, saute about 4 minutes.
• Add the remaining soy sauce, hoisin, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, but for no longer than 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the green onions, or serve them on top.

This worked really well as a tofu dish, and was great leftover for lunch the next day. I'll definitely make it again!

Toddler Friendly: Crispy Tofu Bites

What??? I want you to feed your child tofu? Yes, I do. But you don't eat it? That's ok...just don't complain about it in front of them. But maybe you should try it... you just might like it. I cook it often - here are all of my tofu recipes.

As I have mentioned before, Jon and I really want our daughter to eat everything. Jon doesn't like tofu or tomatoes, but he will never say that in front of her, and so far she likes both. And I don't eat fish, but she has tried it and likes it. I'll just never complain about it in front of her, because as soon as you do, they will want to be like you and will claim not to like things. So introduce things at a young age and they will never know otherwise!

These little tofu bites are the perfect size for little fingers, are crispy yet soft (just a little softer than a chicken nugget), and can be dipped in anything you want - I chose pizza sauce for tonight. You could also use marinara, honey mustard, ranch, or even ketchup.

I spent 5-6 minutes making these, and she ate them up! She had the most fun "dip-dip-dipping" them in the sauce before taking a bite.

Ingredients

• 1/4 block of extra firm tofu, pressed (you want to get the water out), then cut into cubes
• Bread crumbs, about 1/2 c
• Spices - I added a bit of onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp olive oil (just enough to get them crispy - you don't need to deep fry them; alternatively, you could bake them)

Directions

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat
  
• Mix bread crumbs with the spices
• Dip tofu in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture
• Cook approximately 1 min per side, until golden brown. Once done, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
  
• Let cool slightly before serving.
  

Hope your little ones enjoy these! And take a bite of one, you just may like them too!

Toddler Friendly: Risotto

When it comes right down to it, risotto is simply creamy rice. And no matter how many times you have heard Gordon Ramsey scream "Oh on, the rih-zot-o!!!" to the contestants on his show, it really is not that hard at all (I never understood why it causes so many issues on his show!). Some say it is time consuming - I don't think that's true either as it takes 30 minutes. But it is 30 minutes of constant attention, so it is not something you can walk away from - you have to commit to 30 minutes standing over the stove.

But the payoff is wonderful, and risotto is so versatile with an endless number of flavors and ingredients that can be used. And I promise that your kids will like it! They may even like the risotto balls (arancini) you can make with day-old leftover risotto!

The other day I made Chicken Cacciatore Risotto which is what our daughter is enjoying (devouring) here.



So give yourself 30 minutes and try out a recipe. I have a lot of ideas here - feel free to browse to find one that interests you. Happy stirring!!

Toddler Friendly: Turkey Meatloaf

Jon makes a kick ass meatloaf, and I can't wait until he makes it this fall. But last week I had some ground turkey that I bought to make some freezer meals for our daughter, so I decided to make a turkey meatloaf.

I read a few recipes, and then decided to just wing it. The one thing I did see a lot of was the use of quick cooking oats as a binding agent instead of breadcrumbs, so I incorporated that into my recipe. And of course I topped it with ketchup - kids seem to love things covered in ketchup.

I made a loaf, but you could also make this in muffin tins. You could even add mashed potato "frosting" for a fun meal. You could also add some grated veggies to the loaf if your child needs to get more veggies in their diet.

This is another meal that can be made, sliced, and frozen into individual portions. When I was ready to serve it, I defrosted a slice in the fridge for a few hours, and then put it in the microwave on defrost for 30-60 seconds. Perfect.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 1/4 c quick cooking oats mixed with 1 tbsp milk
• 1-2 tbsp marinara sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 sm onion, finely diced
• Ketchup
• 1/2 egg

Directions

• Mix everything together and form into a loaf (add the marinara slowly, depending on how wet or dry your mixture is).
  
• Top with ketchup
  
• Put in a baking dish, fill the dish with about 1/2 inch of water.
  
• Bake on 400 degrees approximately 45-50 minutes until fully cooked (use a meat thermometer to be sure - poultry should be cooked to at least 165 degrees.

She had this tonight and devoured almost everything on her plate - success!

Delicious One Pot Chicken and Rice

I know, that isn't a very creative title. I was, however, pretty creative when I was cooking - I made this one up as I went along. But after cooking, feeding the baby, tag-teaming with Jon to keep her occupied (these days that is doing laps with her around the house, over and over and over, as she learns to walk - back-breaking!!!), cleaning up, and getting her to bed, I'm not feeling all that creative. I just want to get my recipe down on "paper" so I don't forget what I did, because this one was really good!

We had planned on grilling, but Jon was still busy with work and I was busy with the baby, so one pot cooking worked tonight. She sits in her high chair eating some snacks after her dinner while I cook. And I'm hoping that she's learning something too because I do tell her everything I'm doing. Ok, sometimes I have to sing it, but still, she has to be learning, right?

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Seasoned with: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder (just eyeball it)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Handful of mushrooms, whatever you have on hand, chopped
• Approximately 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 c rice
• 2 c chicken broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp mirin (I think you could probably leave this out if you didn't have it)
  
• A few shakes of red pepper flakes

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy skillet or dutch oven
• Cook chicken 4 min per side; transfer to a plate
• Add shallots, ginger, and garlic to pan; saute 2 min. Add mushrooms, saute 2 min. Add rice, stir 1-2 min. Add broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, and bring to a boil.
• Return chicken to the pan, nestling it into the rice. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook about 15 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed.
  

That's it for this delicious one pot chicken!

Toddler Friendly: Mac-n-Cheese

Most kids love mac n cheese. And with how easy this recipe is, there is no reason to ever give them the orange stuff out of a box! Even better, it freezes and reheats very well, so make a big batch when you have time, and you'll have something to pull out of the freezer in a pinch when you don't have any time.

Here is the recipe: Easiest, Creamiest Mac n Cheese. (Note, I used whole milk instead of light cream when I made it last night)

I usually double the recipe - making an entire pound of pasta - so I have a lot of leftovers. I freeze the leftovers in single serving packets, and it is easy to take one out to defrost for lunch or dinner. If it is a little dry when you reheat it, add a touch of milk when heating and voila, just like freshly baked mac! And since it is such a simple recipe, you can add anything you'd like - throw in some diced veggies if you want your kids to eat more veggies, or diced ham for some meat.

My daughter loves this dish -

Grilled Jalapeno-Hoisin Pork Tenderloin

I love a grilled pork tenderloin. It is easy, fast (even for a weeknight!), and there are an endless number of marinades and rubs you can do to add flavor. I had ginger and jalapenos to use up, so I decided on this recipe for Jalapeno-Honey Grilled Pork Tenderloin.

I made a few small changes - I added a bit of oil to the marinade, used hoisin sauce instead of honey, and added a bit of coriander. It was delicious! After marinating for just 6 hours, it took on so much flavor. And it wasn't that spicy at all, so our daughter was able to try some. My variation is below.


Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (Wegman's sells one pork tenderloin instead of the 2 that usually come in one packet. I love this - just enough for the two of us with a little bit left over)
• 1/4 c olive oil
  
• 1.5 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (I always use low sodium)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients; pour over the pork in a ziploc bag. Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours; the longer the better.

Grilling the pork
Jon has figured out the best way to grill a pork tenderloin without drying it out, and without charring it too much. His trick is to sear it on all sides, and then place foil on the grill and put the pork on top of the foil and wraps it up loosely to finish (6-8 minutes in foil). He uses a digital meat thermometer and takes it off when it hits 160 degrees. We then let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing it.